What is informatisation?
Information means facts that help us decide, like a price or a size. Informatisation is when more and more of our work and life uses information and computers.
Look at society: phones, internet, online payment, maps. Ten years ago many of these were rare. Now most people use them every day.
Informatisation and society
Good things:
- Work is faster.
- People far apart can share news at once.
- Services are open at any hour.
Things to watch:
- Private data may leak.
- False news spreads fast.
- People without a phone or internet may be left out (the digital gap).
Informatisation in food, clothing, housing and care
- Food: online ordering, kitchen timers on tablets, labels that trace where food came from.
- Clothing: body-scan measures, online shops, stock counted by barcodes.
- Housing: 3D house plans on computers, smart meters for electricity, security cameras.
- Human services: digital health records, video calls with doctors, care apps for the old.
From records to data to decisions
Each sale saved on a computer is a small record. Many records together are data. A chart of the data shows a pattern, such as "Saturday is busiest". The owner then decides to stock more for Saturday. This is how information helps a business grow.
Using it safely
Use strong passwords, back up important files, share only what is needed, and check news before passing it on. Informatisation helps most when people use it with care.
Try it
At home: time yourself. Write the names of 6 friends on paper, then find them in a phone list. Which was quicker for finding one name?
In the 3D: in the last step, guess the minutes for 15 orders on paper and on computer before you read the answer.
Key formulas and definitions
- Key term: informatisation = growing use of information and computers
- Record + many records = data
- Network / cloud = computers joined to share data
- Time saved = (orders × time on paper) − (orders × time on computer)
Worked examples
1. A paper order takes 2 min and a digital one 0.2 min. Find the time for 25 orders each way.
Paper: 25 × 2 = 50 min. Digital: 25 × 0.2 = 5 min.
2. How much time is saved on those 25 orders?
50 - 5 = 45 minutes.
3. A bakery sees bread sells most on Sundays. What should it do?
Bake more on Saturday night so Sunday stock does not run out. The data guides the decision.
Common mistakes
- Thinking informatisation only means owning a computer. It is the way information is used in work and life.
- Believing digital data is always right. Wrong input gives wrong data.
- Ignoring privacy. Customer data must be protected.
- Forgetting people who cannot use technology. Services should still reach them.